Explanation of design:
Getting an answer to why this type of sidewalk was developed resulted in many answers. It was made for a cleaning machine that was supposed to
follow the tracks in order to clean the sidewalks. Another answer was that it was designed to keep motorcycles off the sidewalks. (Not effective) Lastly, it was designed for blind people to use their guiding stick. It is universal throughout Shanghai.
Design issue:
They placed these directly in the middle of the sidewalk making it difficult to walk and that includes non-blind people. There are also not too many blind people walking the streets in Shanghai. The majority are visually impaired and wear glasses but they do not need guides on the sidewalk. The next problem is that the sidewalk is already uneven and it creates more of a problem for walking and tripping.
Sidewalk with Grooves
Explanation of design:Getting an answer to why this type of sidewalk was developed resulted in many answers. It was made for a cleaning machine that was supposed to
follow the tracks in order to clean the sidewalks. Another answer was that it was designed to keep motorcycles off the sidewalks. (Not effective) Lastly, it was designed for blind people to use their guiding stick. It is universal throughout Shanghai.
Design issue:
They placed these directly in the middle of the sidewalk making it difficult to walk and that includes non-blind people. There are also not too many blind people walking the streets in Shanghai. The majority are visually impaired and wear glasses but they do not need guides on the sidewalk. The next problem is that the sidewalk is already uneven and it creates more of a problem for walking and tripping.
Recommendation for improvement: